Cofton Hackett CHARACTER APPRAISAL – JANUARY 2O19
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THE NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2018/30 COFTON HACKETT CHARACTER APPRAISAL J–ULY JANUARY 2018 2019 presented by cofton hackett parish council Contents Introduction Section Page introduction 3 Cofton Hackett has a rich diversity of hilly land comprising of, part of the beautiful Lickey Hills Country Park known as ‘The Lickeys’, agricultural and pastoral land, Cofton Lake and a very 1. cofton church lane to cofton richards 5 small part of the Upper Bittell Lake for yachting and fishing. The majority of Cofton Hackett, 2. the stocken, cofton church lane & barnt green road 11 with its flora and fauna, lies within the Green Belt which is of paramount importance to the 3. groveley lane from ten ashes lane 17 community. Pre-war and new housing estates, shops and light industry are prominent but the area retains its rural character. 4. groveley lane from rednal island to ten ashes lane 21 The source of the River Arrow is in the Lickey Hills and flows adjacent to the lower end of Rose 5. ten ashes lane 23 Hill, under Rednal Island, through privately owned woods, continuing on at the bottom of Ten 6. cofton fields estate 25 Ashes Lane past houses and gardens. It runs on into Cofton Lake with overflow into what has 7. lickey road 27 become an untended naturalised piece of land with a large pond, from there water proceeds through Cofton Fields estate into a spacious open landscaped area for residents’ enjoyment 8. rose hill 33 and play area for children. Water from the Arrow is also a feeder for the canal system and a 9. eachway lane 35 tributary to the River Avon. 10. warren lane 35 Cofton Hackett has an extensive and fascinating history having mention in historic documents 11. kendal end road & kendal drive 39 dating back to 780 AD. Coftune (Costune) as known at that time has connections with King Offa. 12. groveley lane industrial estate 43 As seen: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/cofton-Hackett, the spelling for Cofton Hackett and 13. cofton common 45 history evolved over time. (Our neighbours in Lickey also have a shared history of names dating a millennial’s open letter 48 from 1255: La Lecheye, La Lekeheye, Lechay, Lekhaye.) There is mention of three manors, Coston Richards known as Cofton Richards, Groveley and Cofton Hall with only the latter still in existence. See: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/worcs/vol3/pp54-57 Between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries nail making was prevalent in the Bromsgrove area, including Cofton. The Austin Motor Company, or ‘The Orstin’ as previously known, was founded in 1905 and provided much employment in the area for decades. Austin’s played a major part in both World Wars providing much needed aircraft built during WWII in the ‘Aero’ factory at East Works. Also manufactured were military vehicles to support the war effort. Motor manufacturing ndp steering group changed its form many times and of course Cofton Hackett is most proud of the assembly Councillors Nick Forknell/Chair, Keith Duncan, Jill Harvey, Janet King and Roger Westbury. of engines and gearboxes for the BMC Mini which was revolutionary for its time. The factory Margaret Hanrahan/Treasurer, Lisa Winterbourn/Secretary and Stuart Howe. closed in 2005 providing a ‘Brownfield’ site which is now in the process of redevelopment for Contributors – Robert Black, Wendy Carroll and Sukhy Hogwood. housing and provision for a community facility. cofton hackett character appraisal acknowledgements See: www.austinmemories.com Text/Photography by Cllr. Roger Westbury/CHPC Chairman, Cllr. Keith Duncan Cofton Hackett can be seen as successful in regenerating itself in various forms over the and Cllr. Mike Pattison, Elisabeth Duncan, Charles Hooper and Garry Turland. centuries despite dramatic changes. Maps by Claire Holmes/Bromsgrove District Council. Design and additional photography by Keith Woolford/Arch Media. keith and elisabeth duncan copyright ©2019 Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal All material published in this document is copyright and may not be reproduced Cofton Hackett Parish Council in any form without the written consent of the Cofton Hackett Parish Council. January 2019 2 Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | January 2019 January 2019 | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal 3 C o f o n C h ur ch L an e – Ba rns to Church 1. COFTON CHURch LANE TO COFTON RIchARDS Cofton Church Lane left of the Stocken to Cofton Richards Farm Well established hedgerows border both sides of this Lane. Cofton Church Lane to Cofton Richards 4 Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | January 2019 January 2019 | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal 5 Cofton Hall Entrance (1), Cofton Hall and Woods (3) Cofton Hall Farm (2) including farm buildings (5) A small well established area of mature trees either side of the driveway with sandstone pillars near This is no longer a working farm and is now a private dwelling. The farm with its buildings and the road can be seen from Cofton Church Lane with the historic Cofton Hall beyond. ‘Cornerstone’, surrounding fields border the railway track to the south. often still referred to as Cofton Hall, with its late fourteenth century hammer beamed roof, has cellars The modern farmhouse is identified as no 6. which are hewn out of rock extending beyond the building, some of which are blocked off. The cellars are believed to date back to the original hall and are most likely to be the foundations of the hall recorded in 1086 in The Domesday Book. Only the Great Hall survived a fire in The English Civil War. The Barns (4) Charles I stayed at Cofton Hall on 14 May, 1645 on his way to Chester. A collection of mid eighteenth century converted farm and out buildings, listed as ‘Barn, Stables and Cow House’, are now used as dwellings and for parking. The buildings are set back from the road in a U shape with gardens to the front and rear. Linked to the end of the barns and facing the road is a small late Georgian brick built house. See: Grade II Listed Buildings in Worcestershire: https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/ cofton-hackett-bromsgrove-worcestershire#.WzXozi2ZMUE Entrance to Cofton Hall, Cofton Church Lane Barn Conversions, Cofton Church Lane The residential building abuts the Great Hall and is mainly Georgian, the frontage of which faces the Millstone Cottage – a modern farmhouse (6) railway line. Cofton Hall – cottage and garden (7) Built of brick in the 1900s, originally this was most likely a farm cottage. Cofton Hall, Cofton Church Lane Cofton Hall Cottage, Cofton Church Lane 6 Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | January 2019 January 2019 | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal 7 Opposite Cofton Hall Cottage (8) Here is the start of a small wood which extends north alongside the public footpath at the bottom of the field and runs to the turn in the path before the path turns west towards the top of the Stocken. Cross, Cofton Church Opposite the church entrance there are stone remains of a *Grade II Listed Footpath from Cofton Church Lane to the Stocken Churchyard Cross. The woods extend along Cofton Church Lane up to the stables. There are some interesting old graves including chest tombs surrounded by iron Cofton Church, St Michael’s and All Angels (10) railings one of which is the This small locally cherished *Grade II Listed sandstone church dates from the fourteenth Century *Grade II Listed ‘Green and was renovated in 1861. Memorial and Railings’. The eastern exit from the churchyard leads to Cofton ‘Green Memorial and Railings’ chest tomb, Cofton Church Church Lane down a set of ancient worn sandstone steps with a handrail. The railway bridge is relatively near the steps. Descriptions of these three listed buildings can be found under: Grade II Listed buildings in Worcestershire: www.britishlistedbuildings. co.uk all under reference 119, the last two by scrolling down from St. Michael’s Church. (The Barns are also included here). Cofton Church, St Michaels and All Angels Steps from Cofton Churchyard to Cofton Church Lane 8 Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | January 2019 January 2019 | l&b and ch neighbourhood development plan | Cofton Hackett Character Appraisal 9 T e S t o c k e n , v ie w s fr om th e N or th W Cofton Church Lane to Bridge orcs Footpath Travelling further past the Church on the opposite side of the road This is the boundary of the new housing development, to be completed by 2020, on the site of the MG-Rover Motor Company and is bounded to the east by the Railway bridge. Travelling under the bridge to the north east are the fields of Cofton Richards Farm. 2. THE STOCKEN, COFTON Cofton Richards Farm (11) A brick built farm building, approximately 1930/40s, is no longer a working farm, can be found at the CHURch LANE & top of small incline. A farm building has been on this site since the twelfth century. The developer St Modwen now own the house and land. BARNT GREEN ROAD There is beautiful rolling countryside on the right before the fork in the lane to the Yachting Club. These fields are believed to be part owned by The National Trust and are a valuable asset to Cofton Hackett and Barnt Green. (FROM COFTON CHURch LANE —charles hooper and garry turland TO GROVELEY LANE) The Stocken, also known as the Stocking, is a public bridleway running from Chestnut Drive to Cofton Church Lane.